A few notes on Talamasca:
The creation of the revenants is so beautifully close to the book lore, closer even that IWTV depicted it (or show!Louis knew it I guess).
Helen and her glasses... well I reblogged the post by @romaroy the other day, and it is very interesting, especially given the backstory. And how it makes her look.
Also - the wig looks... IDK. Black hair, the way it's styled.... Doris is that you? 😅
(Also this reminded me of the movies "Split" and "Glass", actually. Different personalities or personas merged into one?! And the whole demeanor is so different here.)
Episode 4 was a lot of fun, especially. And it more or less opening with Helen asking if the gardener had seen her before?! Interesting.
But of course the most interesting parts in 4 were Guy and Jasper... and Raglan.
At the beginning of the episode Jasper takes Guy into the basement to show him his revenants, and tells him a story of Bacille. Bacille, who, in 1271 Romania gets banished for going "vegetarian". He turns to the Talamasca to find out who is responsible, and the Talamasca agent finds out it was Morgut who had him banished in 1271, and is now heading a coven in Bolivia. And Bacille kills all those 17 vampires.
Now Jasper... for him this story seems to be personal, a young boy is shown being killed with the flashback (Guy later infers that this must have been Jasper.).. but he then does something very interesting - he calls the Talamasca agent who found out the name "greedy", and that he isn't the "exception but the rule".
Jasper notes that the power in their world isn't blood, but information. And that the Talamasca ... kept "them" in line through that information - and that "they" let them.
And then ... the Westcroft - the only vampire coven in town. A hotel as a front for a coven.
It brings back memories of Louis' Azalea for me, and is a perfect explanation for the in-universe canon suites that are kept everywhere for vampires (in the books Lestat has several on "stand-by").
Jasper also heals Guy's forehead wound with some of his blood, and it sets up perfectly the context for what happens at the hotel a bit later.
Jasper claims before Guy goes in that he wants to bring the Talamasca down - talking about how "that book" contains all the whereabouts of every vampire, and that there are "not enough" vampires in the world.
And that the Talamasca... break families apart.
Now, if that is Jasper's real backstory... then Jasper was a kid in the 1920s. And was turned later.
And I find that VERY hard to believe. Because if he was like... 12(?) in the 1920, and was turned in his, what, 50s, 60s? then he was turned only in 1960 plus.
Making him a mere 60 years old vampire.
A 60 years old vampire running/overtaking the London motherhouse. Sure.
There is of course more, and here we get to the lovely Raglan.
Who was a JOY this episode.
Not only does he pick Guy's pockets for the medication, but his comments and whole demeanor made me cackle more than once.
I absolutely loved that Raglan was able to clock Guy's abilities right away, and called it, too. And that he implicitly warned him about Amsterdam and made clear he was looking out for his own interests first and foremost.
Now Guy accompanies Raglan to the transaction - and what a transaction it is.
Not only is the whole thing gloriously gory (because of course shit goes wrong), but it is also perfectly underlined with Pat Banatar's "We belong" LMAO.
In any case, Raglan gets shot, but he gets what he was after - a suitcase full of vials of a 600 years-old vampire's blood.
Now... if you know the story of "The tale of the Body Thief", then you know that Raglan will, ultimately, end up "stealing" Lestat's body, for immortality... and power. (And his money)
Ragland loves power. He revels in it, the canon expression of flaunting his (stolen) wealth and power on the cruise ship is his downfall, but never is it more clear, imho, as when he takes the vials of (already) powerful vampire blood... and only holds it up implying he has everything he needs to... heal his shoulder. "This is all the hospital I need" indeed.
Not to collect it (or any vampire blood) to turn himself, no... if it were that, then it was made more than clear this episode that he has more than enough access already.
But the truly most interesting scene comes shortly after, when Jasper arrives in the hotel suite... and finds the "ancient" vampire that they (not even completely) drained to get the vials of blood.
Jasper calls the vampire in the bed "600, 700 years old. Born before the printing press, before the discovery of the New World".
Which... how would he know that? This age frame? How would he know where that vampire was born? Did he read the mind? Does he know that vampire? If Jasper really is only 60 years old, then ... that is a massive display of power - and experience.
Which leads to the next part - his little rant speech against the Talamasca:
"The Talamasca watches? They're always there? They keep things in balance? Bullshit. This, this goes against everything we believe. What good are they, if they can let this happen right under their noses? Back when the Talamasca started, vampires like him, they had a seat at the table. They were there in the beginning. And when there's more of us... they'll be there again. You watch."
And then he just kills that... "ancient" vampire. Just like that.
Imho there is NO WAY that Jasper is only a few decades old.
Not only does he know too much about the old Talamasca, no, he also slips, imho: "this goes against everything we believe". And: "vampires like him".
Oh, so vampires a few hundred years old had a seat at the table when the Talamasca started????
Yep. That tracks with canon.
Because the Talamasca were founded by vampires and ghosts (Gremt, Hesketh and Teskhamen (Marius' maker)), triggered ultimately by an encounter of a ghost with Pandora.
In the year 752.
I think he ... is hiding in plain sight.
Which is why he also knows the old lore, of the iron head cages, making controllable revenants, and so on. Can kill supposedly ancient vampires. Can overtake and run a Talamasca motherhouse.
If I am right, then the reveal wrt this will be only something for the upcoming seasons though... there is no way they will do this reveal this season. So... we'll see. Eventually 😈
Honorable mention: twins, twins, more twins. A twin named "Rose", and the fitting music: "Ring of the Roses", WHICH, in turn, is extremely interesting not only through the name connection, but also by the connection to the "great plague"...
